The incorporation of electronic devices with pneumatic tire and wheel structures yields many practical advantages. Tire electronics may include sensors and other components for relaying tire identification parameters and also for obtaining information regarding various physical parameters of a tire, such as temperature, pressure, tread wear, number of tire revolutions, vehicle speed, etc. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,984 to Frey et al. discloses a tire monitoring system and method that is capable of determining such information as tire deflection, tire speed, and number of tire revolutions. Such performance information may become useful in tire monitoring and warning systems, and may even potentially be employed with feedback systems to regulate proper tire parameters or vehicle systems operation and/or performance.
Yet another potential capability offered by electronics systems integrated with tire structures corresponds to asset tracking and performance characteristics for commercial as well as other type vehicular applications. Commercial truck fleets, aviation craft and earth mover/mining vehicles are all viable industries that could utilize the benefits of tire electronic systems and related information transmission. Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags can be utilized to provide unique identification for a given tire, enabling tracking abilities for a tire. Tire sensors can determine the distance each tire in a vehicle has traveled and thus aid in maintenance planning for such commercial systems.
One particular area of concern with regard to tire condition monitoring devices and systems and their associated sensors relates to methodologies for deriving the maximum possible data from tire sensors regarding tire and/or vehicle operation. Often these efforts have involved the use of a plurality of different types of variously combined and located sensors to obtain required information.
Example of such include tire pressure-monitoring applications wherein it may also be important or critical to track other tire or vehicle related parameters such as tire temperature, rotational speed, distance traveled, distances travel at particular speeds, and other parameters. In addition to these types of data that may be used for more or less historical record keeping, data may be collected and reported on a real time basis. With respect to tire pressure monitoring systems, real time reporting to a vehicle operator of a low-pressure condition may become of critical importance if the low-pressure condition becomes suddenly extreme upon occurrence of, for example, rapid air loss that may affect directional control or stability of the vehicle especially if the vehicle is being operated at highway speeds. In addition tire sensors may be actively employed in the real time control of certain functions of the vehicle. Examples of these functions may include anti-lock or anti-skid braking systems.
While various implementations of vehicle tire condition monitoring systems have been developed, and while various combinations of sensors have been provided using conventional technologies, no design has emerged that generally encompasses all of the desired characteristics as hereafter presented in accordance with the subject technology.